#Galapagos Week

[starkey]

love travelling. hate travel planning. what if I miss something? what if I make a dumb booking mistake? dates and times and all sorts of horrors abound

[cricketcat9]

About old, old women

of which i am one: during my short stay in Toronto I got together with two Polish friends from my horse riding days. We know each other for some 45+ years, and I did not see them since the mid-nineties. One is 67; self employed, volunteers with a cat rescue organization, comes next week to visit me and to go together to Galapagos. Her last message: "do you mind if I go diving one day, I'm reading that the Galapagos diving is the one of the best in the world". i don't mind, can snorkel while she dives, or sit on a beach (too claustrophobic to dive myself).

The other one, 76, a career in a sound equipment company, spent 6 years doing media work for an ashram in India, became a yoga teacher, wrote two books about yoga for cáncer survivors (she is one), plays tennis almost every day, started a third book.

So much for "knitting and taking the grandkids to the park" *** I'm just sayin'...

*** as I was advised to do, instead of posting, in my first days on Tumblr

[wormstar]

making wc ocs for like the first time in years. positing a challenge to myself to make characters themed around individual tmv songs.... planning to make a good couple of clans that live around the galapagos islands. more info under cut

these guys come from flowclan, a clan living near a mountain known as the cloud cliff. stories of the cliff bursting and unleashing fatal viscera have been passed down through multiple generations, though such a phenomenon has gone directly unobserved for decades.

sniffstar is an old old man and unfortunately (in his opinion) the current leader of flowclan. a former healer-turned-warrior and part of a political coup in his youth, he aided in the assassination of the previous leader, blossomstar, who was planning to send out a patrol of cats to make the week-long journey into dustclan territory as a feint to encourage war between the two clans. following blossomstar's death, his deputy finchtail, who was a spy for the coup, ascended to leadership and elected sniffstep as her successor. sniffstep supported finchstar's somewhat more just rule, though often butted heads with her for her laissez-faire attitude toward external clan affairs, as he believed that the only way to live in good conscience was to unite the island clans into one. following a bout of sickness, finchstar lost most of her lives. sniffstep secretly snuffed the last one and became leader himself. moons and moons have passed and his diplomatic ideals have become somewhat of a joke among a good sect of flowclan, and especially among the other clans. dustclan is the only clan that has agreed to form a 'connective alliance' with flowclan to honor the coup preventing a war. becoming jaded in his age, sniffstar has become much more meek, especially in the face of other leaders' aggression. these days he is honestly just waiting for starclan to take him.

i have much less for snakebird but vague idea is that she was accused of heresy against starclan by the leader of another clan and was abducted and executed and posthumously mutilated. she was buried far from clan territories to avoid her ascension to starclan, though this was not distant enough — various spirits eventually reached her within the course of a moon and, miraculously, managed to resuscitate her. she made an arduous journey back to flowclan territory and resumed her position, is probably training an apprentice and keeping undercover, restricted to flowclan's camp

[watcherscrown]

a real conversation i had at work this week

me: Library reference desk, how can I help you? man: HOW DO I IDENTIFY AN ARTIFACT me: um. what kind of artifact? man: I FOUND IT ON THE SIDEWALK me: have you tried uploading it to any websites, to see if any experts recognize it? man: I DON'T USE THE INTERNET. I ONLY HAVE THIS PHONE THAT I'M TALKING ON RIGHT NOW me: okay! so- man, interuppting: I FOUND THIS ON THE GROUND AND I THINK I KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT *IS*, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? me: I think so. So, we don't really have anyone here with that kind of expertise, but have you tried calling the main library? Someone in archives or special collections might- man: THEY'RE ALWAYS CLOSED me: I assure you they are not man:... man: WHEN I WAS A KID AND I WENT TO THE LIBRARY, THE LIBRARIANS WERE VERY KNOWLEDGABLE AND EDUCATED me: I'm- man: WHAT HAPPENED me: excuse me? man: ARE YOU EDUCATED. I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE me: I do :) man: DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS ARE? me: Yes, I do. man: DO YOU KNOW WHAT A "KIMONO DRAGON" IS me: Yes, I know what a Komodo dragon is. man: DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE GALAPAGOS IN WORLD WAR TWO me: sir, I have to assist another patron, do you mind if I put you on hold? *line goes dead*

[beyondthisdarkhouse]

Tl;dr: I have restocked my Etsy shop! If I sell out again, I won't be able to restock until Tuesday.

Life of me:

Spend months bringing embroidery patterns to sell at historical re-enactment events. Get a lot of admirers but average 3 sales per month. Ponder if this is because the chronic pain-and-fatigue multipliers of being at the event, dressed, with a table set up with stuff, and sitting in a chair for several hours, leaves you with the engaging salesmanship of a Galapagos tortoise.

Buy a roll of interfacing 8" wide and 9 yards (27 feet, 324 inches!!) long to print patterns on. Expect to run out at the end of the next Ice Age. Print 13" long strips because that's the longest size the printer will countenance.

Open Etsy shop. Wait several days. Get 9 visitors.

Post on Tumblr

Receive RAVENING HORDE of buyers on Etsy, like homg. When nobody else got me, I know TUMBLR got me. Sell out entire inventory in like 6 hours flat.

Realize that the item price with the coupon code discount is $2 less than the cost of shipping. Realize why so many people cautioned me against guaranteed free shipping. Make shipping the customer's issue.

Change prices, bc they were originally based around the marketing idea of "please oh god someone buy something I'm fucking desperate"

Package up first 5 Etsy orders around midnight; put hoodie on and walk to nearest postbox.

Occupy yourself with embroidering a little mushroom while winding down for sleep (necessary due to vibration of HOLY SHIT I SOLD THINGS)

Feel like a medieval peasant to whom a miracle has occurred

In the morning, decide to dump the seller manual and planned schedule of product release. Wander the apartment 5x looking for stray lengths of embroidery pattern that have gotten put somewhere weird. Print out patterns until only ONE PIECE of interfacing is left.

Order more interfacing, but the soonest it will arrive is Tuesday. Take inventory and calculate how many items are claimed vs up for sale.

Photograph every single blackwork handstitch pattern in the apartment. They are not very good photographs, but at least they exist.

Sleep for 6 hours in the middle of the day because apparently photography is exhausting and fibromyalgia is an ass

Realise right hand is inflamed and hurts to move because of embroidering a littol mushroom. Why are bodies.

List every single pattern on Etsy even if there's only 1 piece of it for sale. Ache from head to toe because apparently standing up to deal with the printer etc counts as like, intense physical labour?

Email 3 local print shops for quotes because this is. A LOT.

Tomorrow:

Have helper come over and package up orders to go out.

Print very last page of interfacing. Probably with more of the Cottagecore pattern, which just sold out, because it is STINKING CUTE.

Monday:

Spend whole day playing Stardew Valley and eating chocolate pudding and NOT THINKING about the provincial election. (Voted last week, the day advanced polls opened)

Now:

Walk from living room to bed. Why?? How?? Why are we put on this earth?? Just to suffer???

[willtheweaver]

A writer’s guide to forests: from the poles to the tropics, part 7

Is it no.7 already? Wow. A big shout out to everyone who has had the patients to stick with this. Now onto this week’s forest…

Dry forest

Water is life. That’s a fact. And especially where it doesn’t rain for more than half the year.

Location: Dry forests are scattered throughout the Yucatán peninsula ,South America, various Pacific islands,Australia, Madagascar, and India. Areas have been cleared by human activity, and the SA dry forests are classified as the most threatened tropical forests.

Climate: Temperate to tropical, with just enough rain to sustain trees. Many are monsoonal, with rain coming in one or two brief periods separated by a long dry season.

Plant life- Hardy trees, such as Baobab and Eucalyptus are able to last with little rain by tapping into groundwater with extensive root systems. Many trees are evergreen, but in India, many species are deciduous. Trees are often more spaced out, and shrubs and grasses grow extensively. Cacti are common plants in the Americas, with some growing tall enough to be considered trees. In order to survive the heat and lack of water, many small plants are annuals, or store water in tubers. Palms can make up a large percentage of the trees, as was the case in the now vanished forests of Easter Island.

Animal life- As they can come and go when they please, birds are common species. Larger animals are active year round, with smaller species of mammals, amphibians, and certain insects only coming out during the rainy season. Isolation means that islands become home to many endemic species; think about Madagascar and the lemurs, or Darwin’s finches, iguanas, and tortoises in the Galapagos. Isolation has also led to the marsupials of Australia developing to fill the niches that would normally be occupied by placental mammals .The introduction of invasive species has brought about the extinction of island fauna.

How the forest affects the story- Water, or the lack of will be the biggest challenge your characters will face. Rivers and lakes may be seasonal, so other sources will have to be utilized. Drinkable fluids can be obtained from various plants and animals, or maybe the bedrock is porous and water accumulates in cenotes. Your characters could come from a culture that builds artificial reservoirs to collect the rain and store it for the dry season. With careful water management, cities can thrive in dry areas. But your characters will have to be careful. Prolonged drought will see societies go the way of the Maya. Deforestation leaves the topsoil vulnerable to the wind, and forests, farms, and grassland will inevitably turn to desert. Whether nomadic or sedentary, your characters and their society will have to find a way to interact with the forest without destroying it or themselves. Can they do it? Can a damaged biosphere be restored before it’s too late? The success or failure of your characters and/or their predecessors can be a driving focus of the plot. Of course ,when the rains do come, it could be in the form of a cyclone. Dry ground does not readily absorb water, and flash floods are a danger. Water can grant life, but it can take it as well.

[gothamcitycentral]

After several weeks, we have reached:

The Tumblr’s Reptilian Swag Wars Finale!

So for the last time…

Bowser: Bowser is King of the Koopas and the main antagonist of the Super Mario franchise. He kidnaps Princess Peach on the regular for Mario to save, but he still goes karting and golfing on the weekends with them. He is also a loving father to his son, Bowser Jr.

Master Oogway: An ancient tortoise from the Galapagos Islands and creator of kung fu. He is Shifu's mentor, and was the one who chose Po to become the Dragon Warrior. He has ascended to the heavens, leaving Shifu in his place as leader of the Jade Palace. He achieved inner peace, which makes him rather whimsical even after passing.

[focsle]

Hi there, I'm a huge fan of your work and am currently writing a short story set aboard a Nantucket whaler in 1817. I was wondering if you knew how long whalers typically stayed anchored in the Galapagos Isles. I get the impression a week was standard but have seen shorter and longer stays too. If you could offer some perspective I'd really be thankful

Thank you, and best of luck in your writing!

They really wouldn’t stay long. Whalers were often loathe to spend too much time anchored anywhere because it delayed hunting and getting home. As there wasn’t an actual port or human habitation in the Galapagos at that time, nor were they particular habitable places, there was even less of a reason to stay for any extended period. They’d be there just long enough to load up on tortoises, fix things that needed fixing, dump their letters in the Post Office Barrel whalers had set up for the next whaleship to take with them, and be on their way. While I can’t pull off the top of my head the exact length of time various logbooks I’ve read clocked their stay there, I’d say a few days max is what was typical.

At least your whaler will be visiting it before the Essex crew burned the shit outta Floreana Island!

[andrea-lyn]

Tagged by @lazaefair (ty!) for the:

Get to know you better

Relationship Status: Perpetually (by choice) single

Favorite Colors: Blue & Green

Three Favorite Foods: Pretzels (of the soft and baked variety), good Italian pizza, and perogies

Song Stuck in My Head: Blame My Ex, by the Beaches (bc I figured out a plot for a fic for this song)

Last Song I Listened To: Something off Hozier's Unreal Unearth album

Last Thing I Googled: Something work-related to my new job re: discount program

Time: Mid afternoon

Dream Trip: There's a few rattling around my brain at all times and I am hindered by cost:

2 weeks in the Galapagos Islands

Antarctica in depth

2 months in New Zealand & Australia (a return to NZ, plus new stuff)

Anything I Really Want Right Now: I want tomorrow to be here so I can go to new job and start addressing fear of unknowns bit by bit

Tagging @sulkybender, @insidious-intent, @queermil @rainehunting @project-pleiades

[sonny-whorezik]

haiii ... like a week short of a month since i left everything.... i just wanted to use as Journal and catch up before i do Fully return to social media, gettin rid of the app after this post yet again:

has . been . rough. grief has been consistent the last month from my best friend and now ex leaving me, losing that new job due to being physically sick from grief and being unemployed an additional month, my best best friend my dog, sage, passed away last friday and although i left to drive to kansas i just didn't make it in time. She has wind chimes over her grave and passed listening to the sound of the wind chime my great grandma left for me. two days after her passing marked the First Full Year since my grandpa passed away, i had a dream the night before where we drove around looking at christmas lights with people no longer in my life and he just looked so so sad. i am consistently physically alone; i facetime a couple friends but i go outside alone, sleep/wake up alone, eat alone, this has been going on since i left arizona in november Most of my time is spent completely alone.

ive tried new habits. i meditate and stretch in the morning and night. i read a page a day of a stoicism book my dad got me last year with a propeller hat. i see a therapist weekly, wake up earlier, even floss now. The complete back to back to back grief has left me no choice but to just Do Something. while i would Love to share something with someone its best i reserve it to myself, yet here i am vacantly sharing my last month to who knows who...

my friend invited me to see stop making sense last night in a farther town, showed the original film not the remastered and general admission was all standing and everyone acted as if it was a real concert dancing and singing. this was my 6th time seeing it in a theater. did not cry once yet celebrated the experience i have had and although i will never have anything quite like i did with someone quite like them, at least i had it for a good portion of my life. had to devote this must be the place to myself, foreign. to be completely transparent, i do miss them every day. i do not cry like i used to, i dont let myself get consumed by thought and feeling, ive grown more desensitized as time has passed, but i still miss them of course. i consistently see things that remind me of them even when theyre not on my mind and when sage died i wanted to reach out so terribly; reminisce of the fort we built where she slept with us and i had no one to talk to but my mom who was with her til the end. i didnt. i havent reached out. it is not my place given they were the one to leave i just will not keep reaching out and chasing someone who sounded so blatantly apathetic on our last phone call. i tell myself it was just a form of self preservation to them but yknow. like. that's it, i have no choice but to experience grief with self compassion and continue on, wherever that goes.

i may be starting TMS treatment , having magnets zap my brain 5 days a week, 6 weeks. i see a cardiologist on the 30th since my chest frequently hurts and both ekgs have concerns in the pause between beats. my pulse at resting is consistently around 120 yet my blood pressure is fine; who knows. well i guess ill know actually in 10 days. im finishing a vape, got a full pack of cigarettes ive yet to touch yet plan to quit smoking here soon in hopes it helps. maybe after my pack to eliminate temptation yet not waste my money... i bought it an hour before sage passed. i barely drink coffee and dont use energy drinks anymore i do what i can for my heart now.

atticus still sleeps with me, most nights. sometimes he wanders the living room when i cant sleep. im almost halfway through galapagos. i washed my sheets for the first time since buying them in august. im very much alone and this is all fine i tell myself. the stoicism has encouraged me to alter my perspective on things more rationally as opposed to the wired self deprecating and depression-based "take everything personally" thought processes ive had for 18 years. im on my phone significantly less and i even wrote a piece on piano i may share after this post. ive been transposing it to cello, my grandma requested.

i have no interest in perusing anyone anytime soon still, whether its still too early or what i think i do just Need to do these things alone for a while. ive never found sole stability in others, i learned this at 6 with my dad, yet while outside aid would help, it is not a requirement to live however. forgive me for how long this is and for leaving once again there are a few of you i used to talk to daily and now ive just got a few contacts in my phone.

despite chronic mental illness, mourning, loneliness, you name it, ive never taken this approach before. i will typically have a suicide attempt yet here i am doing a pancake stretch and ommm-ing every morning. i keep as busy as i can, today i went through every single thing i own to sort donations and the day before i deep cleaned. there is a box wrapped in a blanket of some of the things that remind me of them. i went through it today and brought out some things like the books theyve given me, it doesnt hurt as much anymore to remember. im donating the mugs i never gave them and the one theyd use at my house when theyd come over. all their letters havent been reread yet sit in between the photo of us in the cave. it was nice to see. i am so honored they let me, of all people, share these experiences with them. i am more thankful it happened then miserable itll never happen again; at least i had it for a while. i say this yet if a year passes and i hear from them, i would love to reconnect: hear how their life has been, what they've been doing, how their family is and if they are doing better. if this has helped. while for 6 years i believed they were really it for me, whether we ever dated or not ive always considered them the only one who Really Knew who i was, how i worked, you name it. although im "moving on" by taking care of myself more, it is upsetting to admit if i ever have a chance again, id take it in a heartbeat. i say this yet still believe Even if i do never get a chance, that's okay too. While i would, i dont anticipate it, rely on it, sit in denial "theyll surely come back," its alright if they never do. i live each day as if they never will yet to my core do know that i would try again

a knee ways .. i hope you, whoever reads, is doing okay, that you feel alright and what not. you dont have to feel good every day, but at the least alright i hope ... not sure if/when ill come back maybe just once a month im unsure yet .was just in a solid enough state to do this for a moment . wish you all well ,

[pianocat939]

Guys I’m sorry but I had to. The demons have come back to haunt me once more.

Tw: breaking-in, death, violence, obsessive behaviour, honestly this guy is literally so cute help-

Yandere Methuselah General Hcs

Introduction: For those of you who don’t know, Methuselah was a Galapagos Tortoise who died at the age of 130. He was one of the oldest tortoises in the world when he died. His death was caused by a shoe getting thrown at his head by a ginger 4 year old, which was me. After the incident, he succumbed to his injury two weeks later.

(I got so lazy with the shading lmao-)

(And now we start make Yan content of his mutant self-)

(He’s not 130 years old as a mutant, it is up to interpretation.)

Type: Violent + Affectionate

Before his mutation, he roamed the habitat of a reptile zoo, munching on plants and strolling around. He would sunbathe and nap all around the perimeter.

On one summer day, he wandered around as the people watched him: as per usual. He could hear the excited little chirps from the children as they pointed and waved at him.

Then when he turned around, something hard hit him in the head, right on the bullseye. It hurt a lot, but he paid no mind to the thrower.

Instead, his eye was caught by another human. A human watching him from afar, silently observing him. How interesting.

The next few days, everything was mundane. But suddenly, he started growing weak. He was the biggest one of the tortoises and still going strong. So why is his body failing him?

Two weeks after the incident, his body gave out on him. He died, pitifully so.

Then he wakes up once more. But no longer as a tortoise but rather as a humanoid version of himself. He was taller, much taller. His muscles enlargened, so much bigger than an average human's.

Nature has given him a second chance at life! With his current body much more complex than his old one.

He knew humanity wouldn't accept his appearance. So, he hid through the shadows, watching through the cracks.

One night, he spotted a human from afar. And not just any human, the one who watched him on the day of the injury. You were so fascinating! The way you act was adorable, cute, one might say.

Since then, he's snuck into your home every night.

Despite being 11'6, he manages to fit himself on your bed and snuggle up to you; without waking you up. Of course. He holds you firmly but gently, with little nuzzles to the top of your head.

"My dear~ you're always so nice to hold."

In his free time, he writes you love letters. All with love and sick thoughts. And along with said letters, he leaves stuffies with recorders in them so he can listen to you.

He 100% will walk into your house and wait for you to come home. And no I doubt you could kill his monstrosity of a size. He'll be all lovey-dovey, saying he's cooked food for you. He loves anything domestic, like seriously.

He plans to marry you, kidnap you wanting to be bound together. And if you're up to it, children as well (the memories from being at the zoo oddly bring comfort).

Now that we're done with most of the wholesome things, the reason he's listed as the violent type is that he will kill anyone that touches you. He hates it, he hates anybody interacting with his lovely future spouse.

"Let's not do such disrespectful things, alright?"

It isn't just you either, it could be your guys' pet dog or something and he'll be protective of it. No one is touching his family, no one.

Overall just very cute and wholesome...Minus the violent part.

Oh and he's got the Canadian/Northern Midwest accent.

——————————————————

I LOVE THE BEAUTY MARK I CANT-

I don't know how to feel anymore. Like, this tortoise I killed all those years ago has now become a mutant OC? Where did things take a weird turn?

- Celina

[hualianff]

HC high off of his anesthesia medication after having his appendix removed, being the most difficult patient because “where is Gege?”

“My husband” for more clarification

“Ahh, your husband left a little bit ago to pack an overnight bag as your procedure had a few unexpected difficulties. You’ll probably be more sore than normal- hey, no, sir, please leave your IV in”

“I’m going to find my husband-“

“Hua xian-sheng, please stay where you are-“

HC, pausing: “Wait, where are my clothes? And why am I in a dress?”

“Sir, it’s a hospital gown. It’ll make things like going to the bathroom easier-“

“I want to go home.”

Cue XL arriving fifteen minutes later in a flurry with a huge duffel bag. XL crying out a “San Lang, you’re awake!” As HC continues arguing with the nurse about drinking water and eating crackers.

“Gege, thank god you’re here. I missed you.”

XL is a bit flabbergasted because his San Lang is acting like a child, but it’s kinda adorable and how can XL not be fond of him?

XL laughs lightly as he makes his way over to HC, who immediately raises his arms with grabby hands, pulling XL in for a hug.

The nurses pull up a chair for XL to sit in as HC clings to XL, muttering about how his stomach hurts like a bitch, he’s wearing a dress in front of so many goddamn people, and why did Gege have to be gone for so long?

“For a second, I almost thought you left me. But I knew you’d come back, you always do because you love me,” HC finishes, eyes dropping with fatigue.

“That, I do. I love my husband sooo much,” XL confirms while brushing the hair off of HC’s forehead, placing a loving kiss in the middle. “Now what’s this about San Lang refusing to eat, hmm?”

The nurses gawk at how innocent the expression HC pulls off. What a menace in disguise. Their eyes nearly pop out of their heads when-

XL: “All right, come on, I’ll feed you.”

HC: 🥰🥰

***

HC, speaking with his mouth full of food: “wait, I have to turn in my draft design for our new client’s home-“

XL, holding a finger up to HC’s lips: “shh, no you don’t. you called out from work today, remember?”

HC, confused: “where’s my iPad? I have half of it done already, maybe I can-“

XL, holding up more noodles: “San Lang, chew your food properly so you don’t choke.”

HC: *nom nom*

HC: “we should go on our honeymoon”

XL: “we did, silly. we went to the Galapagos for two weeks. It was so much fun”

HC, stopping mid-chew as he admires the reminiscent look on XL’s face: “let’s go on another honey moon then”

XL, cracking up because this is the side HC shows no one but him, how luck XL is to be married to this man: “are you sure? a few minutes ago, you wanted to work on stuff for your job. Can San Lang handle being away from work for so long?”

HC, nodding virogrously: “if I’m with you, I can do anything.”

Nurses who pass by, thinking: “oh, that was actually really sweet”

***

HuaLian getting ready for the night…

HC, watching XL make his bed on the side couch: “I thought Gege was sleeping with me tonight?”

XL: “ahhh San Lang, I would, but there’s not enough room-“

HC, holding his blanket up for XL to cuddle next to him: 🥺

Nurse: “I’m sorry to inform you, Hua xian-sheng, but I cannot allow your husband to sleep in the same bed as there’s a risk of jostling your stitches-“

HC: [hisses while clutching XL’s hand]

Nurse, with her hands up: “but I can have another bed moved into the room and place it beside yours, would you like that?”

HC: “absolutely not-“

XL: “-that would be lovely, thank you, xiao jie.”

HC: [betrayed]

He can’t wait to go home.

[signedsealeddelivered]

seal of the day: galapagos fur seal!

yes we r moving on to the eared seals! these cute seals have a lifespan of 22 years in the wild. unfortunately they are currently endangered :< . galapagos fur seals are the smallest of the eared seals! mothers recognize their pups by smell and sound- isn’t that cute :3 unlike earless seals that are weaned off milk 4-6 weeks after birth, fur seals can be weaned 18 months after birth! weaning can be delayed even 2 to 3 years if conditions are poor. because of this there is often sibling rivalry and fighting for milk! young pups with older siblings have an 80% chance of dying due to this :< one event that really hurts the galapagos seal population is El Niño. these seals hunt for fish, shellfish, and other crustaceans at night as it is easier to catch. the interesting thing about these seals is that they have almost no predators! other fur seal species are prey to sharks and orcas, but these predators are rare in the galapagos seal habitat. the migration paths of these predators do not cross these fur seals path! there are an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 of these seals currently. what do u think about the galapagos fur seal? 🦭

[wizardfigbramble]

Attention: the potion shop will be closed this week due to the front door taking annual leave. We wish them the best of times and merriment while they visit the Galapagos with their family.

If you are in need of potion services at this time I will be traversing the woods with my backpack of wares. To summon me simply bake a fresh loaf of bread and I will be attracted to the smell, thank you

[starrybouquet]

thanks for the tag cy! @doodledrawreblogs

Relationship Status: happily single

Favorite Colors: blue

Song(s) Stuck In My Head: danger zone, for the 83rd week in a row

Three Favorite Foods: plain cheese pizza, dark chocolate, blueberry Bundt cake

Last Song I Listened To: Darkstar - Harold Faltermeyer

Dream Trip: the Galapagos

Last Thing I Googled: "oblivion 2013"

No pressure tagging @nicejobkid @formerdetective @sententiousandbellicose @agentkalgibbs @redbelles @thistableforone @dannykaffee

[2wards-travelling]

It's been a couple of days since my last post here but so much has happened since.

We left Quito and travelled 4 hours by 'Private Transfer' to the Cloud forest at the Mashpi Lodge Nature Reserve. If you Google it, you will be impressed. Here we have been rubbing shoulders with NFL players and international influencers. ( All sound as a pound ) There have also been some knobheads. I think they are Tories. Its our last night here before our private transfer back to Quito and begin our next adventure in the Galapagos. While here we have had many a biology lesson, on plants, birds, bugs, buttrflies, snails and mamals. some toxic, some poisonous, including a close encounter with a covert tarantula which we were assured was not poisonus. It was big and hairy just like me snd ewuallyas scarey. We walked in all weather's, night and day with a very knowledgeable guide, who helped Ann up when she fell over in the mud and water. ( oh yeah sorry, Ann said that wasn't funny )The frogs here are louder than the birds but as small as your thumb nail. Of particular interest we have seen glass frogs, newly discovered species of frogs, and frogs that quack like ducks. Funnily enough they are called duck frogs, not much thought went into naming that one. We have seen Tucans, humming birds, Agouti ( type if Guinea Pig but we saw it wild, not on our dinner plates) and Tayra's. Photos to follow. We have also been on a gondola ( not the Venice type ) across the top of the forest canopy, 180 metres above ground plus a cycle suspended on a wire 80 metres above ground. My knuckles are still white thinking about it. We have also been swimming in waterfalls where the water had been extremely cold. My nuts are still returning to their normal size. ( remember I said no abuse ).

We are now relaxing in our room while a monsoon rages on the other hotel guests who are still out there, particularly pleased the knoheads are still out there, while we wait for a hot tub session ( keep it clean everyone ) and our gourmet evening meal. Breakfast with the humming birds tomorrow before we leave. They will be eating nectar and insects but hopefully our menu will be a bit more appetising. Its a hard life being retired. more updates later in the week. In the meatime here are a few pictures from our exploits so far.

TTFN