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Howler Monkeys, pictures of frogs, pictures of iguanas, pictures of skunks, pictures of snakes, Weekly Photo Challenge Companionable
“Will You Teach Me To Speak English?” Cultural Exchange – Costa Rica
Companions come in many forms, and some people often misunderstand my choice not to have a domesticated animal as a pet. A free spirit, I travel too often, and it seems insensitive to delegate the care of an animal to someone else when I am absent. I have the option of distant friendships with companions of the wild. Enjoy many of the creatures that have watched over me during my time in Central and South America!
Finishing my last-day respite here in Mindo Ecuador, I’ve enjoyed the service of fast internet! After today I will be in transit back to the riverhouse, where the companionship of nature awaits. I will also return to sluggish cyber connections!
See more posts about companions on the Weekly Photo Challenge/Companionable.
BUSTED! – The foliage thief nibbled himself too fat to return through the fence!
I knew that SOMETHING was eating the Swiss chard, but the thief ate so much that he got caught in the chicken-wire fence on his way out!
Little Bit guarded the jasmine near the front door!
Big Red sought asylum my house; he was pretty big for an iguana!
You’re probably weary of seeing iguanas… How about cute little frogs? This one guarded the jasmine as well!
He might be smiling, and he might be my prince, but I ain’t gonna kiss him!
Ok… You probably didn’t care for the frog or the iguanas, but they make amazing models for my whimsical art!
Zeeguana! (Watercolor)
Zeebra frogs often hop into the picture!
Let’s move to something prettier… like butterflies! When working on this watercolor, I was in dire need of a dead or alive ‘in-hand’ model. I walked outside, looked down, and there was a (dead) butterfly species I had never seen!
How great of a gift was that?!!! True happy shoes!
Butterflies are always special, but not if they defoliate the balcony’s crop of maracuya!
“Ok.. Let’s Baptize them with Lemon-Grass & Garlic Tea!”
After that magic hour, I forgave those caterpillars for desiccating the passion-fruit crop!
How cute! What is it?!
I will never forget my first encounter with this precious spotted petite animal. Imagine my horror when I found its image in a wildlife guide: a spotted skunk!
Sometimes different species seem to visit for their last day on earth; though I have been unable to help them, I give them empathy.
This baby bird appeared in the house – unfortunately it died that night.
This one appeared to spend its last day with me…
A snake died in the yard… with qualms, I present that one as well. Perhaps he was there to remind me to watch out for snakes?!
The rustle of leaves prompted a closer look.
A victim of hit and run, this snake sought solace in the yard and died soon after.
The locals called the above snake a ‘mata caballo.’ The assured me that it was not dangerous. Any snake with a name that suggests it can kill a horse makes me cautious! I realize there are many more snakes that do not spook me; the following one fascinated me, as it mimicked the branches where it searched for prey.
Now THIS is a snake that I like! What stealth!
For every monkey that soars through the trees, there’s a snake that creeps through the foliage with stealth!
Which is real and which is a snake?
And there was the snake that recently inspected the work on the magic carpet!
A surprise visitor sneaked into the studio to get a sneak peek at the artwork!
Ok; Barb and I learned to close the bodega door! Enough of snakes.. here are some ‘softer’ animals of the wild!
Variagated Squirrel – Costa Rica
My greatest love is for the howler monkeys, that watched over me during my time in Costa Rica.
Quite at ease, this one often loitered very near where I worked.
At night they often slept in the canopy above my roof, and in the pre-dawn awakening hours, they often howled until I peered outside and acknowledged their presence! “Good morning! Buenos Dias! Ummmmph-ummmmph, ummmmph,” I would greet!
If one looks up, many times the howlers are quietly observing.
“…Thanks for stopping by; see you again soon! …”
With that, they would hush, and we either stared at each other for half an hour, or I would return inside and start my day!
Other mornings they would leave quietly, but almost always they returned at the end of each day and watched over with a territorial and protective eye! They taught me many nuances of their unique language, and I am grateful for their lessons and for their trust!
The young one was accepting, but the parent was quite alarmed! “Don’t trust that gringa,” it seemed to say!
Who’s There?
If only all species were so accepting!
Have a good weekend, everyone!
Z
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
Loved seeing these great photos! 🙂
thank you! luckily i am not skittish!
Just to make myself clear, I care for frogs and iguanas :D. Wonderful pics, Lisa!
I am not surprised! Many of my friends are squeamish when it comes to reptiles!
I said I do care for them 😀
Reblogged this on The ObamaCrat.Com™.
Few can lay claim to having such exotic companions Lisa 🙂 Amazing shots as always!
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Who needs pets when you have these wonders for companions? We, too, have eschewed having a pet as we like to travel and go on the sailboat. We had to wait long enough for these days when our children were growing up! Thanks for sharing these photos, Lisa!
Lovely shots and take on the theme! I adore
Monkeys!
Holy cow! What a bunch of amazing pictures (and commentary)!
janet
Wow fantastic Lisa, love these photo-journals of yours! Nature at its best! Have a safe trip and happy weekend!
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Such wonderful companions. Even the ones that eat too much.
ha!
isnt’t it ironic that you’re looking at my posts, and i’m looking at yours!
thanks amiga!
z
Yes. Are you home again already?
no! i’m still taking my timeout in the cloudforest of mindo! I painted two butterfly studies this afternoon then helped the owner of the hostal paint a fun sign (tonight)
iit’s almost midnight here, and i might leave in the morning. it’s been rainy, so i might stay put — i am procrastinating the 7-8 hour 3-bus ride home!
🙂
Nice photos, but I worry about your snake visitors. Are any of them poisonous?
thanks, richard! the only poisonous snakes i’ve seen were rattlesnakes in costa rica. when the seasons change, i often saw dead ones near the side of the road, or crossing the road.
a few nights ago here in ecuador, i attended a ‘frog concert’ and a night trek with guides to see the creatures of the night. the guide pointed where a snake sometimes shed its skin, and he said it was an ‘equis’ which means fer-de-lance. i wasn’t too crazy about walking past that area – ten of us – i wondered how many it would take before the snake got angry and snapped!
z
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Reblogged this on Oyia Brown.
Amazing photos! Thank you, Lisa!
You are very welcome, Sunshine! Have a great weekend! Z
Zeeguana: a great name for your whimsical creation.
I don’t think a temperate region can compete with a tropical one when it comes to diversity of fauna. You’ve got quite a menagerie there.
I attended the ‘frog concert’ at a local attraction here in mindo, (ecuador) where i am taking a time-out break. wow, there were many species of frog in that little pond, and all so cute perched on the different leaves or swimming in the water! the fishing spider was pretty fun too, though we didn’t see it dive into the water in pursuit of tiny fishes!
Lisa – you have quite a library of pictures of visitors! I believe that animals and insects seem to sense when the person they are near does not mean them harm. It is your sweet accepting grace that draws animals (and humans) to want to be near you!
Big Red monster sought asylum … – maybe good for a portrait session?
Lovely companions!
So many great companions and critters which you have captured wonderfully in these images, some of which are quite stunning. My favourite photo is the one of the green lizard (the second picture from the top). And then I like you Zeeguana – that is a fantastic picture in water colour.
thanks! adding the zeebra stripes is quite easy if the understudy has been painted well! dark blue/black trumps the other colors, so it’s like adding a swizzle stick to a lemonade on a hot day!!!!
thanks so much for your feedback!
I do love the lizards, iguanas and of course the varigated squirrel. This has been an interesting year for lizards. We’ve always had the green anoles, but this year the brown has appeared (native to Cuba and fond of eating anoles) as well as a pure black one that’s rather larger and quite attractive. There’s also one that looks like gravel – I’m not sure if it’s a separate species or one of the strangers also capable of a little camouflage.
While I look at your creatures and think, “Oh, my! How exotic!” it’s also true that visitors to my part of the world will view the wild turkeys or armadillo with equal glee. It’s the unfamiliar that delights – and reminds us to give even the familiar a second glance!
ah, nature gives us such comfort! do those new species come as stowaways on the boats?
it always seems strange to see domesticated turkeys in Latin America! i’ll never forget the first trip to jama when a turkey zipped past at full throttle (running) with a little boy in equally fast pursuit!
What a great find for a model butterfly…and such a beautiful design.
I love the howler monkeys, with all those animals Who needs a pet? You are so sweet that even animals loves you.. I´m in Quito´s bus station waiting for my bus back to home.. 🙂 I hope you had safe trip
hey amiga
i thought i answered this, but it’s back again..
yes, the howler monkeys are great.. i never get tired of gawking up at them!
glad you made it back safely. i suspect there’s a new post incubating!
z
Whoa! 🙂
Hi Lisa and I hope that your travels back are going well! Ok the frogs and iguanas both stole my heart! Your way of composition with art and the camera keep us hovering over your work! Keep it up! Thank you for sharing your talents with us, how refreshing! Blessings!
hey
the three-bus ride took 7 hours, and i am home on the river, where the sound of the birds is the greatest (only?) sound. ah, nice way to start the day!
it took almost an hour before there was strong enough internet to open an email or webpage. i won’t be doing much cyber work unless it’s in the wee hours of the morning.
hopefully this will jump out of the gate and reach you this morning! thanks!
I agree about not being able to have pets when you travel but I think we have solved that by being foster parents to other peoples pets when we house sit, like Grandchildren we can love them, spoil them a bit, then give them back to their parents… 🙂
hey amiga!
yes, i am home on the river now, and i am pleased to have the birds and vistas that require zero maintenance! yes, being a foster parent to pets sounds like great fun!
What a wonderful list of visitors you have, Z. We are the crazy ones who take our dogs with us almost everywhere. However, we now have pigeons who nest outside my studio window, and how I LOVE watching them! Hope you’re have a wonderful weekend, as well!
Hugs,
Kathy
hey amiga
now that you’re in the same country, i wonder if i should call you my neighbor?!!!!
it’s great knowing that you’re settled and happy in cuenca! she’s such a lovely well-dressed lady, full of flowers and a melting pot of cultures.
i returned home last night after three weeks in the sierra. ah, it’s nice to awaken and be home!
A post simply packed with beauty!
thank you! one can never have enough encounters with nature!
So sad about those little birds, Lisa. Love the pics of all your exotic companions. 🙂
thank you! nature is certainly diverse, isn’t she? there’s so much to see, and i’m lucky to live where i am immersed in nature. nature plays an important part in my level of happiness!
I am in awe. So lovely, even the reptiles, Lisa.
thank you! you’ll have your own great assortment of creatures that welcome you to the new farmlet!
That is one exciting series of exotic animal friends. I wish I am close to something like this . Love it!
your son would love all of those iguanas and frogs and striped squirrels and even the spotted skunks! thanks so much!
Where else could one live and have such diversity of wildlife? Your photos are pure joy. 🙂
Thank you amiga. It’s probably the law of attraction, and I definitely love nature, so nature reveals herself in many ways.
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