bugs, Bugs, BUGS!

One thing we've noticed about the tropics...Nothing stops growing!  There was a bush in the yard that grew at least two feet in the month we were there.  The bugs, if they don't get eaten, apparently follow suit.  Some of the kids, all of the young male variety, thought it would be a great idea to set up a still frame of bugs.  A bug zoo frozen in ice trays for everyones repeated enjoyment.  Many of the bugs were only sunk part way into the ice so that when on display they could still be stroked and handled.  

 Maggie preferred to catch and release.  No up close camera tricks
here, that is one monster grasshopper!  She also caught a katydid
that was about that same size but it bit her, leaving chomper marks
in her skin before I could grab the camera.

We think this is a bark beetle.  At night hundreds of these,
although this one is about ten times the size of all the others
we saw, would be everywhere.  They would find there way into
the house and zoom around like army tanks with wings banging
into everything.  I found it amazing that they were so clumsy,
every night we would have to de-beetle the house until we didn't
hear them clinking into walls, lights, and fans anymore.  They
also frequently joined us for dinner, crash landing on plates and
Tessa's hair regularly.

La cucaracha!

This one fell victim to the freezer as well before
Max and Tessa braved posing for a photo like this.

You can see how this guy gets this big.  Maggie
was our creature capture extraordinaire!  She
could sneak up and nab a toad like this in minutes

That is one BIG toad!

A little repetitive, but I love this picture because
it displays so vividly a bit of the individuality
that I love so much!  For some a sherpa hoodie,
for others just camo underwear will do.

Only Maggie could get a gecko to pose like that.

Our very last morning in Lagunas Alex and Rosa brought this
up for the kids to see.  They found it while weed whacking in the
yard.  That foot is a size 2 shoe!

And since I just got the video thing figured out (hooray!)  I'll put our little marching flower here.